Don't Inquire About His Name

Chapter 42 Don't Inquire About His Name

After Avada Kedavra and the others left, Hagrid helped Harry try on the clothes, handed him the drink, and then left the robe shop to buy other school supplies according to the list.

"Hagrid, what did you mean when you said I was Ken's nemesis?"

While sipping his drink, Harry looked up at Hagrid beside him and asked.

"Oh my God, I shouldn't have said that in front of you."

Hagrid suddenly became annoyed: "It was just a joke, don't take it to heart."

"But……"

"No buts." Hagrid's tone was somewhat serious. "Remember, Harry, don't ask about Ken's name. Ken is a very nice person, kind and academically excellent. You can be friends with him at school without worry, but just don't ask about his name."

"Why?" Harry was even more curious now—Hagrid could even tell him Voldemort's name.

"His name is a taboo, a real taboo." Hagrid shook his head, seemingly unwilling to recall it, but worried that he would feel awkward if he didn't explain it to Harry clearly: "Even Dumbledore doesn't want to mention his name."

"If the mysterious man's name is just a symbol of fear, then Ken's name represents real, tangible death. Even the deaths of your parents are inextricably linked to that name."

"sky!"

Harry shrank back, a hint of fear flashing in his eyes.

"But don't be afraid, and don't hold a grudge against Ken because of this, Harry. It's just his name that symbolizes death, not him."

Seeing Harry's reaction, Hagrid realized he had misspoke in his attempt to fool Harry and quickly explained, "He was born with this name, and he has suffered a lot because of it... Just imagine, how sad it is when not a single friend knows your real name!"

"So in this respect, Ken himself is the biggest victim of his name. What he deserves is not suspicion and fear, but understanding and comfort..."

Hagrid patted Harry on the shoulder, almost making him stumble. "Alright, let's not talk about that. What were you guys talking about?"

"We were talking about the houses. They told me that Hogwarts has four houses, each representing a different quality: kindness, wisdom, courage, honor, and responsibility..." Harry said to Hagrid, recalling what Avada and Baron had just said.

"Honor and responsibility?"

Hagrid frowned upon hearing this: "Is this how they described Slytherin to you?"

"Let me tell you, I'd rather go to Hufflepuff than Slytherin. That house is practically a breeding ground for dark wizards; it produces several times more dark wizards than the other three houses combined. Even Voldemort was from Slytherin..."

……

After accompanying Draco Malfoy to Ollivander's wand shop and witnessing the wand with the hawthorn wood and unicorn hair core chosen by him, Avada followed the two families to the Nimbus Company's display case. After listening to Mr. Shafiq, Lucius, and the people from Nimbus Company argue for a long time, the two families finally parted ways in Diagon Alley after Lucius handed over his magical wood sample to Nimbus Company.

"dad,"

Malfoy tugged at Lucius's sleeve and asked, "Just who is this Ken? Why does everyone avoid mentioning his name?"

"Don't ask, it's not something you need to know right now."

A flicker of apprehension crossed Lucius's eyes as he solemnly warned his son, "You heard what Mr. Shafik said, so don't ask, don't be curious, and it's best not to even think about it. Just know that his name is Ken. And..."

"Moreover, he likely possesses extraordinary talent and is under Dumbledore's close watch. So you'd better get along well with him at school. Even if you don't want to get close to those idiots at Hufflepuff, at least don't provoke him or insult him or anyone around him."

"Like how you treat Harry Potter?" Malfoy asked nervously—he rarely saw his father speak to him so seriously.

"Yes, just like with Harry Potter."

Lucius nodded and whispered, "If I'm not mistaken, he should have a chance to become the next Dark Lord, just like Harry Potter." (Note)

If Avada could hear these words, he would definitely be the first to jump out and protest his innocence.

How did he become the next Dark Lord?!

Just because he came from an orphanage, was brought to Hogwarts by Dumbledore, possesses extraordinary talent, has a phoenix feather wand, has good relations with the Slytherin people, studies Horcruxes, and cannot be named, should we hastily conclude that he is the Dark Lord?

He's from Hufflepuff! Hufflepuff has never had many dark wizards in its history!

Fortunately, Avada didn't overhear these words and go to confront Lucius. He simply went to the bookstore alone, bought second-year textbooks, some Floo Powder, and other magical materials he needed, then got into the Shafik family's car and returned to Shafik Manor with them.

Throughout the journey, Mr. Shafik talked excitedly about the mass production of the Nimbus 2000.

"The Malfoy family really hit the jackpot this time—after initial testing, the people from Lightwheel Corporation discovered that the magical wood they provided actually works! And it's not just for the power valves; the same wood can be used to repair the balance ridge, achieving mass production and even slightly improving performance!"

"It's simply amazing! Who would have thought that ordinary mahogany, after some improvement and cultivation, could become the most suitable material for making high-grade flying brooms? The Morgen index of this wood is astonishing... while the cost and time of cultivation are less than two-thirds of other woods of the same grade, and the key is that it is also very easy to..."

"The people from Guanglun Company have already taken the samples back for research. If everything is confirmed to be fine, they will discuss cooperation with Malfoy Estate and inspect the conditions of the planting site... If everything goes smoothly, production should begin around next year!"

"At that time, we can also use the new technology that hasn't been fully developed yet to directly create a new type of broom, namely the Nimbus 2001!"

Listening to Mr. Shafik's eloquent words, Avada gradually understood: No wonder Malfoy pulled out seven Nimbus 2001 brooms in his second year in the original story; it turned out that his family had become a supplier for the Nimbus Company...

He'd seen the pre-sale price of the Nimbus 2000 and concluded that he could barely afford one even if he emptied his savings. As for the newer model, the Nimbus 2001, which would likely be even more expensive, buying seven of them would probably be painful even for a pure-blooded noble—that's tens of thousands of Galleons! Enough for an average person to live comfortably for a lifetime!

As for Sirius Black, who doesn't value money, that's another story.

After staying at Shafik's house for a few more days, Avada returned to the orphanage and spent the last two weeks of summer vacation. Having been freed from the wand-tethering restriction, he could finally cast spells without restraint in the dead of night. Having already finished his summer homework, he only had a few things to do during this time.

He studies Floo Powder, attempts to learn Professor Beck's "Double Casting," analyzes the "Confession" spell using his study notes, and gradually breaks the seal Professor Beck left on that giant book.

However, these tasks were all extremely difficult. In addition, being away from Hogwarts meant he lost the help of the largest library in the UK, and he had limited time to do research each day. He also had to be careful and avoid making any noise while doing his research, all of which made his progress very slow.

Finally, the date arrived: September 1, 1991.

Note: Before Harry enrolled, a popular theory about him was that he was a dark wizard even more powerful than Voldemort. Many former Death Eaters agreed with this view and hoped to regain world dominance by supporting Harry.

P.S.: Thanks to "Serious Profiteer" and "Everything for Asuna" for their donations!

(End of this chapter)